Super Mario Bros. Copy Just Shattered The Record For Most Expensive Video Game Ever Sold

Just over a half-decade back, a copy of the original Super Mario Bros. that was meant to be a Christmas gift broke a video game world record when it sold at auction for $660,000 in 2021 – only to see that record broken a few short months later by a $1.56 million copy of Super Mario 64. That record was also swiftly broken when another Super Mario Bros. copy sold for $2 million – a record that stood for another five years (until today). For readers who aren’t familiar with the quickly expanding market for high-value retro games (not to mention Pokémon cards, comics, and vintage action figures), even used copies of classic games can sell for high prices – all the more if they’re in excellent condition and sealed in the original packaging.

Which is why this new record-holder for the most expensive video game ever sold is so interesting. Previously, we speculated this particular copy could sell for over $1 million (not a record but still a life-changing amount of money); however, in the final hours of the auction, the game didn’t just pass that $1 million mark, it’s became the new-current record holder. Which game was it? Another pristine copy of Super Mario Bros. and, given its condition, it may hold the new mark for a very long time.

Earlier today, an auction over at Heritage for this sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. closed for $3 million. This copy was graded at 9.6 A++ and it’s virtually flawless. The reason it went for such an astronomical amount is because it’s from the second production run of Super Mario Bros. that was released in early 1986. As noted by Heritage, there are no known copies of Super Mario Bros.‘ first production run that are still sealed, and there are only two other documented copies of the second production run (besides this one) that are in comparable condition.

Additionally, this particular copy features Nintendo’s gloss sticker format, which was used before the publisher began releasing games in shrink wrap. Because this packaging left the cardboard surface and black cover exposed, it can be very difficult to find the second production run of Super Mario Bros. in such desirable condition.

These tiny nuances may not matter much to casual collectors, but they mean everything to the hardcore fans (and investors) with a lot of money to spend. To that point, Heritage actually auctioned off another sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. for the NES today that “only” went for $575,000. Though this copy has a higher grade – 9.8. A+ – than the new world record holder, it was from the fourth printing of Super Mario Bros. that featured the original hangtab packaging. It’s still in demand from high-end collectors, but it’s not in the same galaxy as that second printing copy.

While the games are collectors’ items, a great part of the appeal is the continued popularity of the Mario Bros. across the decades. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the biggest box-office hit of the year with over $1 billion worldwide.

Heritage isn’t done yet, as we’ve previously covered, the record-setting Super Mario Bros. copy is part of a larger set of retro video games up for auction. So, if you’re ready to start collecting extremely high-end retro games, or just want to marvel at the various grail pieces up for auction, there’s plenty to check out!